Low AMH and infertility

[RedStrawberryJuice]

Hello. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for two years. After one year of infertility, we did all the laboratory tests. We found out that I have low AMH (0.80), while his sperm quality is very good. We are both 31 years old. We will start IVF because it could be successful, but I still hope for a natural pregnancy. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable with treatments that interfere with the body in this way.

I have experienced many stressful events in my life and lived in survival mode for a long time—constantly worrying and feeling fear. I used to eat poorly and unhealthily, skipped meals (while being neither underweight nor overweight), was often dehydrated, and was regularly exposed to secondhand cigarette smoke.

Despite everything, I still believe I can conceive naturally, and IVF is my last option. I feel much better now—I have learned how to manage stress, I’ve changed my lifestyle, and I no longer surround myself with toxic people. I eat more regularly and more healthily, but I believe there is still more I can do. I’ve read about supplements that may help improve egg quality, such as Coenzyme Q10 and DHEA.

Has anyone tried supplements or dietary changes and successfully conceived naturally? What else has helped you?

There’s certainly no harm in continuing to naturally as low amh doesn’t mean this is impossible or that your eggs are poor quality, there’s just less of them. But you do need to be realistic about timelines, two years is a significant time trying and your low amh likely means you’re working with a shorter timeline in which you can conceive.

My consultant recommended coq10 600mg, folic acid and vitamin d as well as a vaginal probiotic and Mediterranean diet ahead of my most recent retrieval. So probably similar to what you’ve read about. I don’t know how much difference it may or may not have made but it’s certainly worth a try and mentally think it can be good to feel like you’ve tried to maximise your chances.

Can I ask what makes you feel uncomfortable about ivf? Maybe you need to try to reframe your thinking. IVF while having its challenges enables many people to have a child who would be otherwise unable to. I can understand wanting to conceive naturally but natural doesn’t equal good, sometimes nature unfortunately goes against us and a helping hand is what we need. If you do conceive a child through ivf I doubt you’ll care one bit how they were conceived, you’ll just be glad they’re there.

I had low Amh at 35. I read the book it starts with the egg and basically followed her footprint. However when I hit the 1 year mark and nothing had worked I became super depressed and ate my feelings, went back to smoking

Sorry didn’t finish. I basically fell pregnant 2 months later. I wouldn’t jump to ivf, but give yourself a time frame as this fertility journey makes zero sense.

With low amh at that level it will be much harder to fall pregnant naturally as there could be issues with ovulation or you could not be ovulating each month and usually with very low amh could come with low egg quality.. if you want to continue trying naturally for as long as you can manage id maybe still talk to a fertility specialist to monitor your cycles for a couple of months to make sure you are actually releasing an egg eat cycle. You dont need to jump into ivf straight away as you have other options before hand but id highly suggest monitored cycles . This will include blood tests and ultrasounds with accuracy and they will see that you have actually ovulated. Ovulation tests only show a peak but you still might not be ovulating. I also have low egg reserve and my eggs are not of good quality but I also dont have tubes so need ivf but I have no guarantees il make embryos. So my opinion is to have monitors cycles for a little while and then look at other options but dont leave it too late.

Thank you for your answers. Two months ago, I visited an IVF clinic where I had a negative experience with the doctors. I was told that the IVF procedure itself can cause pain and some side effects, but I did not feel comfortable with the doctors and found it hard to relax in that environment.

I have an IVF consultation scheduled for next month at a different clinic, where I have heard more positive stories. I will discuss medications with my doctor there. I believe I may be a candidate for egg retrieval in March or April.

I have already undergone ultrasound examinations and laboratory tests. The only abnormal finding is a low AMH level; everything else is normal. There is no uterine septum. Ovulation is visible on ultrasound. My thyroid function is normal. There are no anatomical abnormalities, and I have never had any other medical conditions. Sometimes my period is delayed by a day or so, but ovulation occurs regularly.

Hi, I'm sorry to hear you are going through this and didn't have a great experience with the clinic. Hopefully the next one will be better. Lots of us will be happy to answer any IVF related questions if that helps and there might be others who have done it with similar AMH, I seem to remember someone using a more natural approach to focus on one or two eggs at a time for example so that might be something to ask the clinic about. Have you had a hycosy? You could also do a DNA fragmentation test for your partner but it's quite expensive but could be a reason even if his other parameters are normal. Sadly unexplained infertility is pretty common with basic tests coming back as normal. Low AMH shouldn't make conceiving naturally impossible as long as you ovulate regularly but the window to do IVF might be smaller so it's good you are looking into it now. I have done everything over the years (we are unexplained, I have had regular cycles since I first started my period), diet for both of us, no alcohol, no hot baths etc for my husband, acupuncture, certain yoga poses, essential oils, you name it and it just wasn't happening so we are now in the middle of IVF.

I would like to understand how IVF treatments usually work. How was it for you? Did you have to repeat egg retrieval several times? With an AMH result similar to mine, was the outcome good — successful fertilization and pregnancy? Do the hormonal injections cause any side effects that can remain as long-term consequences? Does egg retrieval cause any side effects — can anything go wrong, or is it usually fine after the procedure?

No, I am hearing about HYCOSY for the first time. I was considering some Ayurvedic or homeopathic treatments, and I also have acupuncture scheduled in February. I have done Reiki treatments and practiced meditation. However, since my IVF consultation is approaching, I will proceed with IVF straight away.

My husband and I do not smoke or drink alcohol, and we live a calm life without significant stress. Thank you Waitingforday6 for sharing your experience with me, because I had been holding onto the illusion that maybe I was not doing enough for things to work naturally. Now that I know your story, I will trust that life is guiding me toward an IVF at this point.

No advice from me apart from I am sorry you are going through this. I am 32 and my AMH is 0.32. Fertility clinic refuse to see me. Private IVF is not an option at the moment. And generally I am not keen on IVF. So I continue to have some hope while silently grieving and trying to accept it may not happened for me. There is severe history of early menopause in my family which I wasn’t aware of until last year when I was told I am headed that way.

Hi, I’m really sorry you’re going through this — I know how hard and overwhelming it can feel. One book I’d really recommend is It Starts with the Egg. It’s one of my favorites, and I’ve seen many positive reviews about it on forums. It explains practical ways to support and improve egg quality. Also many doctors recommend making any lifestyle or supplement changes at least 3 months before trying to conceive. As for choosing a clinic, this is one of my favorite articles and I found it very helpful:
https://www.eggdonationfriends.com/7-questions-need-ask-clinic-decide-egg-donation-treatment/
When it comes to reviews, both positive and negative, it’s important to remember that you never see the full picture. For example, a clinic that works mostly with younger patients may not be the best fit for someone of advanced maternal age, even if the clinic itself is very good. In that case, the experience may feel disappointing, even though the clinic performs well for a different patient group.
Knowing the right questions to ask and how to interpret the answers can really help you find a clinic that’s the best match for your situation. I hope this helps a little, and I wish you the very best on your journey